THE GAME
by Ash
Summary: Someone from the past returns and the Animorphs are thrown into a deadly game.


THE GAME Written By: Ashmoria 

**Well, here's my what? 6th fanfic? Urgh, feels like more. Anywho, this story involves narration by Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel and Tobias. Yes, all of them! Except Ax and that was because I can't do Ax, it's a fault and I apologize. So enjoy and no, I don't kill any characters in this story! Really! Send me your comments!** **You know the disclaimers..so blah, blah, blah and if the HTML shows up on here. Please ignore it and don't let it stop you from enjoying. Here you go! 

****************************************************************************** It's coming... and those with timid nature better hide. No it is not fear...or greed or even hate. It is not the end of the world it is by far worse...it is more terrifying than the darkest night, more powerful than life it self and it can destroy everything that one has fought for....it is revenge.... ****************************************************************************** PROLOGUE SOME ISLAND, SOME WHERE 

*If I do you this favor, what can you do for me?* "We can give you what you want most." *And I am suppose to believe that some bizarre dude from space wants to help me? How do you even know WHAT I want?* "We have the power to manipulate dreams. And believe me, we can make your dreams come true. We just ask of you one thing." *What?* "Tell us where the Andalites are." *Andalites? On Earth?* "Yes." *There is only one.* "You mean there IS an Andalite here?" *Yes.* "Very well, you tell us his location and we will give you anything you want." *I already know what I want.* "Oh, really?" *Yes, my Delvelian friend, I want the Animorphs.* David replied. ****************************************************************************** JAKE 

My name is Jake. Just Jake. Call me Jacob and I'll kick your @$$. No I'm not usually so snappy but when you gotta save the world for a living and then get a 20 page Science lab review done all in the same night you tend to get a little uh, cranky. And today I was definitely in one of those moods. 

"Yo Jake! Wait up dude." I heard someone call. It was Marco, my best bud and fellow Animorph. What's an Animorph? We're kids who can morph or "change" into animals. No, we're not freaks. We're actually the only hope you have against an alien race called the Yeerks. They are parasites that crawl into your ear and control your mind and you're helpless to stop them. You can't scream, or cry, or protest, you can only sit back and watch the yeerk live YOUR life. It's pretty scary, believe me I know, I've been one. And slowly these parasites are taking over the world, of course, you can't tell who's a controller (a person who's been take over by a yeerk) and who's not. They act totally normal. They could be anyone, your parents, your brother, your Aunt or Uncle...or even you. Who knows? 

I turned to Marco, "Hey Marco." 

"I see you survived the wraith of Mrs. Marray. Congrats, dude, that takes guts." He said smirking. I HADN'T finished the Science lab review and had to explain to our Prozac induced teacher why it wasn't finished. 

"Yeah, well, I learn from the master." I said swatting him the shoulder. 

Marco gave a little laugh, "Didn't know I was such a positive influence on you buddy, So you wanna do something tonight I just got Zelda 64 and I'm just itchin to kick your sorry butt again." 

"Nah, I'm probably going to be up all night catching up on this lab." I replied. 

"Okay, whatever, we can do it some other time." Marco said with a non-caring shrug. "Talk to ya later Jake." 

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Marco, I'll call you okay?" 

Marco turned and nodded before disappearing out the school doors. Just normal kids right? In a normal world? Doing normal stuff? No. Not even close. We might sound like normal kids and LOOK like normal kids but we're as far from normal as you could imagine. We've seen things that the combined minds of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg couldn't begin to think up and we've fought more battles than even the most seasoned war veteran. I'd like to think that I had seen it all. But I was soon to be proved wrong. ****************************************************************************** MARCO 

"G'night dad!" I called to my dad who was in the living room. 

"Good night Marco." I heard my dad reply. 

I yawned, it was late. 11:30 PM and I had been stupid and stayed up playing Nintendo when I had homework. I had diplomatically decided not to do it and go to bed instead. I'd be able to give my teacher a good excuse with a clear head anyway. 

I got into my pyjamas and brushed my teeth and hopped into bed after saying goodnight to the framed picture of my mom that watched over me as I slept. I haven't told anyone I do it and it's a personal thing so I intend to keep it that way. 

Tired, I leaned back against my pillow and closed my eyes. What a life I had. Sheesh, save the world from overzealous slugs. I turned into a hairball daily and some of my closest friends are a hawk and a blue guy from outer space. And what was sanity again? 

I felt another Yeerk Pool dream coming on. It was one of those forever recurring dreams you just keep hoping goes away but never does. The Yeerk Pool was a horrible place of screaming, crying people who are begging to be set free. I can usually find a joke in everything but there is nothing funny about the Yeerk Pool. 

Pushing the Yeerk Pool as far as I could out of my mind and slowly felt myself drift into sleep. 

FLASH! 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, pain everywhere. 

What was happening? I struggled wildly with the unseen force but then the world swirled before my eyes and the world went black. 

SOMETIME LATER 

I opened my eyes slowly and sat up. That's when I realized I wasn't at home anymore. Nope not even close. My warm bed didn't even exist anymore...it was somewhere in Timbuktu and I was here, wherever here was. Actually, I was in what looked awfully like a fore. 

"Okay! Ummmm, yeah, what just happened?" I called to the trees. 

That's when I heard it. A voice that seemed to run through the trees and in the wind. It was hard and mocking and I knew that moment I heard it that I was in trouble. 

"WELCOME TO THE GAME" ****************************************************************************** ******************** Rachel 

"Hey! What's the deal?" I cried as I looked around wildly at the trees around me. One minute I had been sleeping in my nice, comfy bed and the next I was here in the forest of the lost. "Someone's asking for it!" I shouted again. 

"WELCOME TO THE GAME." 

" Hunh? What's the game?....Okay, this isn't funny anymore. Where the heck am I?" Silence. I sighed. Here I was in the middle of nowhere wearing my pyjamas, all alone. I felt stupid. I hated feeling stupid. When I feel stupid, I get mad. And now I wanted to have some heads a rollin. 

"Marco? Do you think this is some kind of joke? Well, hahaha! You got your laugh. Now come out wherever you are!?" No answer. 

"Jake? Cassie? Ax? Tobias?" I called. Now, I was freaked. Not only did I not know where I was but it didn't look like there was anyone for miles either. 

"Well, might as well start walkin." I told myself and I started off into the woods. That's when I heard it. A voice I remembered, a laugh actually. It's kind of hard to forget the laugh of someone so evil he makes Visser 3 seem like a Teletubbie. He had almost killed Jake and Ax and he'd given Marco a night to remember. Given the chance he would have killed Tobias too. Actually, he thought he _had_ killed Tobias. Now I might be all get up and go when it comes to the Yeerks but there really isn't many people I hate. But I hate this kid. I hate him more than I can put into words. If I tried to put it into words they wouldn't be repeatable here. 

David....David was here. 

Then I heard something else. A voice I also knew, but this voice wasn't laughing. It was screaming. Marco. "MARCO!" I cried. ****************************************************************************** MARCO 

"You....you! You can't be human! You're a RAT!" I cried as I looked into the human eyes of David, the renegade, insane Animorph who had tried to kill us all. 

"This bothers you Marco?" David grinned coldly, "here let me change for you." 

I watched as David began to grow shaggy fur...He was morphing! That was impossible! Wasn't it? David continued to change and I began to recognize the morph. He was going lion. 

"You want a fight ratboy? Then I'll give you one!" I cried. I closed my eyes and focused on one of my newer morphs; the polar bear. The polar bear was pure confidence and power plus I didn't think my gorilla could beat his lion. I opened my eyes and looked at my hands? HANDS? They should be paws by now! What? I concentrated again, more desperately but I didn't change. I couldn't morph! I looked at David the lion and tried to hide the fear on my face. 

*Not so confident without your morphing power are you Marco?* David said with a growl. I took a BIG step back and began to slowly walk away. 

David gave me a hard, cold laugh, *I think you'd better run Marco, because I'm going to kill you.* 

I took his word for it too, David was a psycho, lunatic and he had his BIG lion teeth bared at me like I was a human cheeseburger so I didn't doubt him for a minute. I turned and ran with all the engulfing fear surrounding me. I knew I'd never beat a lion, I was dead. I was deader than dead. I was sushi. 

I whirled in between trees and through bushes, but I knew I couldn't run forever. David knew it too . He kept up a slow deadly pace behind me, not really concerned. I ran and hid behind a huge tree, Stopping to catch my breath I peered around the tree. There's was no sign of the lion anywhere. I let out a shaky breath, somehow, someway I had lost him. 

"GrrroWWLL!" I looked up as a the huge form of a lion came barreling at me from in the tree. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed in terror as the lion landed on top of me and using it's huge lion paws pinned me on the ground. I struggled but when you have a 400 pound lion on top of you I might as well have been trying to move the Empire State Building. 

*So Marco,* David said casually, his huge lion head inches from my tiny human one, *the Animorph who finds everything funny. Gee, can you find something funny in this?* 

"Well," I said weakly, "You could use a breath mint." 

*Hahahaha..A funny man til death I see.* "If you kill me my friends will find you." I said sharply. 

*Oh, I'm not afraid of your friends Marco. We're on my turf now, and we play by my rules. I'm going to stalk your friends down and kill them one by one.* David said proudly lifting one of his paws to look at his deathly claws. 

"Can I ask you one question?" 

*As a last request? Sure alright.* 

"Ummmm, why? Why kill us? I mean sure we turned you into a rat but that was because you tried to kill Tobias, Jake and Ax and you gave me a pretty good whack on the head. So my question is why?" 

*Because I like it. I've had a lot of time to think while I was a rat and I decided that I really didn't like you Animorphs...in fact I hate you. And there's in nothing in this world that I want more than to see you all suffer.* 

"Can we say hostility?" I muttered under my breath. 

*The game belongs to me. I am the predator, you are the prey and there's no escape. I run the show, I call the shots. And you all can't stop me, because I made sure you can't use your beloved morphing powers.* 

"I don't get it." 

*You won't have to, in a couple seconds I'm going to snap your little neck....Now, enough talk funny man,* David snapped as he raised one big paw. That paw would crush me, and the claws? Well, forget about the claws! They'd shred me to ribbons. *It's time to say your prayers.* 

"David don't do this!" I cried. 

*Too late for pleading.* 

"David please" 

*Too late for begging.* 

"NO!" 

*Goodbye Marco the Animorph.* He said as he started to bring the paw down. I squeezed my eyes shut. This was it. I was going to die at the hands....paws...of David the crazy psychopath. Of all the times I've come close to death this is not how I imagined it ending. David was going to bring that big paw down at me and snap my neck. I did what David said, I said my prayers and then waited for the darkness....... ****************************************************************************** RACHEL 

I swung the huge branch in my hands at David's lion head and connected...hard. The lion howled in pain and Marco who was lying helplessly pinned underneath him opened his eyes and gazed at me. 

"Morph you idiot!" I screamed as I got ready to whack David again. But Marco just looked at me with terror filled eyes. 

"Rachel do you think that if I could morph that I'd be playing David's little cat toy!?!?!?!" he cried. 

I didn't understand what Marco was talking about but right now he was the least of my worries. David had turned around, momentarily freeing Marco and his attention was on me. I saw Marco creep up and scoop up another large branch from nearby. I spun back to David. 

*Ah, Rachel. The Warrior. Long time no see.* David said sharply as he stared at me with hard lion eyes. 

"How can you be human?" I asked, "You were a rat!" 

*Hehehe, that's what funny boy asked too. But you Animorphs don't seem to get it you are on MY rules now. And there's nothing you can do. Not even morph.* David said almost conversationally. 

"Oh, yeah?" I said angrily. I closed my eyes and focused on my grizzly bear morph. 400 pounds of pure power and confidence. But just as I began to concentrate I heard a voice....Marco's. 

"Do you EVER listen to me Xena!? We can't morph!" He cried. I opened my eyes to glare at him with what should have been grizzly eyes but I realized with horror I was still very much human. I stared in shock at my VERY human hands. Marco nodded at me with conviction. 

That's when David pounced, there's was no time for me to move. No time to lift the branch. No time.... 

Marco jumped between us and swung the branch in his hand with all his midget might. It hit David square on in the snout and David backed off, suddenly reconsidering his attack. 

Now beside me Marco grinned, "Home run!" He cried. "Strike three for the psychotic kitty!" 

David smirked, *This is not over. You're mine, you're ALL mine! I'm going to find your other little friends and then I'll be back. Count on it." He turned and ran off into the woods and Marco collapsed to his knees in relief. 

I looked at him, "You okay?" 

"Yeah," He replied, "Thanks Xena, you saved my skin." 

I gazed worriedly at him as he got to his feet, anytime Marco acts thankful means something's wrong. That experience had shaken him up pretty bad. Of course I just nodded, "No problem, nice swing by the way." 

He grinned sardonically at me, "You like? I've been practicing. I figure I'm the next Mark Maguire! Only it'd be a new sport, Catball. Or Furball or Insane-Rat-Boy-Turned Cat-By-Ways-We- Are-Not-Yet-Sure-Of Ball..Whaddya think?" 

I laughed, "Keep dreamin Marco." I turned toward the forest. "So what now?" 

"My suggestion? Find a way out of here and run like hell." He said shivering even though it wasn't cold. 

"We can't," I replied, "The way David just left us it must not be a walk in the park getting out of here....wherever *here* is....and what did he say about finding the others?" 

"You don't think Jake, Cas, Ax and Bird Boy are here too do you?" Marco wondered. 

"Who else would he be talking about?" I asked dryly. 

"Well, I was hoping it was a life or maybe sanity? Who knows with David." 

"Marco sometimes you just ask for it, " I muttered, "Well, let's *assume* he was talking about the others. I think it'd be better to find them, before David does." 

Marco mocked a shocked look, "My God, you've become Jake!" 

I punched him in the shoulder and sighed, "I should've just let David eat you." 

Marco laughed, "Where's the fun in that?" 

I ignored him and started off into the forest. He silently followed me and we headed into the trees. I knew right away that what ever had happened and wherever we were this was NOT going to be fun. 

****************************************************************************** CASSIE 

I groaned and sat up and looked around, Where was I? I looked around at the trees and grass and the nightgown I was wearing. WHERE WAS I? 

"Owwwwwwww..." Something moaned from beside me and I almost jumped out of my skin. Then I slowly turned to him. It was Tobias, as a human, lying on his back staring blankly at the sky. Slowly, he sat at up and looked at his hands. 

"I'm human!" he cried in surprise to no one in particular. It was obvious he hadn't seen me yet. He closed his eyes and I could almost see him focusing on his hawk. 

But nothing happened, Tobias didn't go back to a Red Tailed Hawk and I could feel my panic for him rise. Tobias opened his eyes and gazed at his still human body a cry of horror and terror escaping from him. 

"No...no! Not again! No! I can't morph back! Noooooo!" He sobbed, anguished. That's when his eyes met mine. I looked back at him. I didn't mean for pity to enter into the gaze but it did anyway and Tobias looked crushed. 

"Cassie! It's happened again! I'm a nothlit.....again!!" He cried on the verge of hysteria. 

I stood up and placed my hand on his trembling shoulder, "Tobias, hang on! Okay, I don't know where we are or how we got here but something's not right, so let's not write things off yet. Okay?" He looked up at me with lost blue eyes, "OKAY?" 

He nodded slowly, "Yeah, you're right...I hope your right... I over reacted...I just need to *sigh* Calm...down....." 

I nodded at him, "Okay. Now we need to figure out where we are." 

"Uh, yeah." He said, then added bitterly, "But if I was a hawk I could easily have figured it out." 

"Well, um..." I said, not really wanting to finish my own sentence. Tobias finished for me with a look of pure anger. 

"Oh, no..You want to morph bird do you?" 

"Uh, yeah. Forgive me?" I asked weakly. 

"Go ahead." He said flatly, "Just..please...make it quick will you?" 

I nodded and closed my eyes focusing on my osprey morph. I had started far into the change when I heard Tobias cry, "I told you to make it quick!" I opened my eyes to see what was happening and realized I hadn't been morphing at all. Looking down at myself I turned to Tobias who still looked incredibly bitter. 

"Uh, oh." I muttered. 

"Uh, oh what?" Tobias asked fearfully. 

"Uh, I can't morph either." 

"WHAT?" Tobias cried, I wasn't positive but I swear I heard a little relief in his voice. I couldn't blame him, Tobias without being able to morph a hawk made for a not very happy Tobias. 

"Well, it might be a good thing, "I said with a shrug, "It probably means you're not stuck as a human." 

Tobias nodded and looked around,"Now for the million dollar question: Where are we?" 

I shrugged, "Don't know. It is kind of weird though. I wonder if because we're here that the others are here too?" 

"Well," He replied, gazing into the trees,"Only one way to find out." 

We tracked into the woods but my mind was floating elsewhere. Where were we and why couldn't we morph? I had a bad feeling about this place, something was DEFINITELY not right. This was going to be no walk in the park....not at all. ****************************************************************************** JAKE 

I gazed at the 12:51 on my clock radio and yawned. I was never going to get this lab done. I think what I had told Marco was true I was going to be up all night. Sighing I looked down at the equation. 

"The radical is equal to a and b is equal to the square root of 5 and uh, oh God." I threw the pencil down, frustrated and ran my fingers through my hair. Tired, I laid my head on my desk and closed my eyes, suddenly not caring whether I got the work done or not. 

*JAKE DO NOT GO TO SLEEP* Came a voice. I knew who it was even before I opened my eyes. 

"Ellimist?" I asked raising my head. 

There he stood, looking like a wise old man near my bed and I knew the minute I saw him that there's was trouble. 

"What's going on?" 

*IT'S YOUR FRIENDS JAKE. THERE ARE IN TROUBLE.* 

I frowned, "My friends? Why?" 

*THEY ARE IN THE GAME.* 

I gazed at him, confused, "The what?" 

*THE GAME.* He answered, *LET ME EXPLAIN. MANY YEARS AGO WHEN THE ANDALITES WERE FIRST SEARCHING THE GALAXY THEY DISCOVERED A RACE CALLED THE DEVELIANS...." 

"Develians?" 

*THEY WERE A QUIET SPECIES WITH NO WEAPONS, BUT THE ANDALITES THEN ARE NOT THE ANDALITES NOW AND WHILE THEY WERE DOING SOME TESTS ON THE DEVELIANS PLANET AN EXPERIMENT WENT WRONG AND DESTROYED ALMOST ALL OF THE DEVELIAN PEOPLE.* 

"That's horrible. And the Andalites did this?" 

*YES. IT TOOK THE DEVELIANS A LONG TIME TO LEARN HOW TO USE FASTER THAN LIGHT SPACE TRAVEL BUT NOW 500 YEARS LATER THEY HAVE THE POWER AND WEAPON TO GET REVENGE ON THE ANDALITES.* 

"Weapon?" I asked worried, "what kind of weapon?" 

*THE GAME.* The Ellimist explained grimly, *THEY HAVE TO POWER TO CONTROL DREAMS.* 

I blinked, "Okay, I don't like the sound of that." 

*IT SEEMS THE DEVELIANS HAVE LANDED ON EARTH AND FOUND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS OF AXIMILLI AND OF YOU FOR THAT MATTER* 

I felt the terror rise in me, there was only one person....."David?" 

*YES. DAVID AND THE DEVELIANS HAVE STRUCK A DEAL, AXIMILLI FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS. THE DEVELIANS HAVE GIVEN DAVID THE GAME AND NOW YOUR FRIENDS HAVE BEEN SUCKED INTO DAVID'S FANTASY. IT IS A PLACE WHERE HE RULES. YOUR FRIENDS ARE TOTALLY HELPLESS THERE.* 

"What do you mean by totally helpless?" 

*THEY DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO MORPH JAKE* 

"Well," I said, desperately, "David's still a rat right?" 

*NO JAKE, HE'S VERY MUCH HUMAN. AND VERY MUCH CAPABLE OF MORPHING* 

"So why wasn't I sucked in?" 

*YOU HAVEN'T FALLEN ASLEEP YET.* 

"What can I do then? Go to sleep?" 

*NO! I CAN SEND YOU INTO THE GAME, WITH YOUR MORPHING POWERS..BUT...* 

"But what?" 

*YOU WILL ONLY HAVE 5 HOURS TO FIND YOUR FRIENDS OR THEY WILL BE TRAPPED FOREVER.* 

I sighed, I knew what I had to do, "I'll do it." 

* AS I KNEW YOU WOULD.* 

"I'll call Erek, tell him to watch over Ax while I'm gone." I said, letting out a shaky breath. 

*NO JAKE, I WILL DO THAT FOR YOU. YOU MUST GO NOW THERE ISN'T MUCH TIME.* 

"Now?" I cried, then realized how dangerous the situation really was and nodded, "Five hours right?" 

*FIVE HOURS* 

"Well then, as Rachel would say, Let's Do It!" I turned to the Ellimist, "Take care of Ax will you?" 

*OF COURSE JAKE, NOW CLOSE YOUR EYES* I closed my eyes and saw the flash of light, the last thing I heard as everything faded away was the Ellimist powerful, commanding voice. 

*GOOD LUCK JAKE* ****************************************************************************** MARCO 

I shot a glance at Rachel who was walking beside me, a mixture of confusion and that ever present 'bring it on!' attitude dancing across her face. Quite frankly I couldn't see how that was possible since I was shaking head to toe. All I could see was the huge lion paw coming closer and closer....We approached a new bank of trees and I gazed meekly around them just waiting for David to pounce out a rip me to shreds...as if once wasn't already enough. 

Rachel turned to look at me, "Well...this is definitely not good." 

I glared at her my fear flaring up, "Oh gee, Rachel! Somewhere between being lost in Peter Pan's forest, getting stalked by a psychotic rat and not for once being able to turn into furball to defend myself the thought NEVER occurred to me that things WEREN'T GOOD! This is all good! All of it! I mean, I'm having so much fun I think I'm going to cry!!!" 

Rachel returned the glare angrily, "I was JUST going to say that it's going to rain!" She pointed at the sky which was beginning to fill with dark clouds. It wasn't just going to rain it was going to storm. 

My gaze fell to the ground, "JUST GREAT! Miserable and WET!!" 

When I looked up again I saw Rachel staring at me, a strange, wild look on her face. I didn't like that look. "Marco," She said finally, "What IS your problem? I mean REALLY?! Why do you think that the whole world is out to get you?" 

"I don't!" I cried, not liking at all where the conversation was heading. 

"Oh yeah right!" Rachel snapped, she was mad...she was REALLY mad. And me? I was terrified of her. "Mr. I'm God's gift to the universe? You put up these walls and act all macho and cool! Like no one can see past your stupid jokes!!" 

I didn't say anything. I didn't want to. I just stared at her. It was a good thing I hadn't said anything because she wasn't finished yet. 

"Why did you stay with us all this time anyway Marco? Oh, yeah! Your mom! That's the only reason you're here isn't it? To get your mom back right? Then we're gone like yesterday's trash. All you think about is YOU Marco..YOU YOU YOU!" 

I glared at her in shock, Rachel had never done this before, she'd almost kicked me out of the Animorphs once a LOOOOOONG time ago, but she'd never taken it this far...and I was pissed about it, "SHUT UP!" I screamed, then I whirled around and took off towards the trees but she caught a hold of my arm and squeezed it painfully. 

"No Marco! It's time you faced the truth! You aren't the cool guy you think you are...You are just a SELFISH, INCONSIDERATE JERK!" She screamed, inches from my face. 

I blinked, pushing down the anger I was feeling, but then I exploded. "YOU JUST DON'T GET IT RACHEL!!! YOU-JUST-DON'T-SEE!!" 

She looked at me, obviously surprised at my outburst. Then she let her voice fall, "Then let me see." 

"I...I can't." I said slowly, frowning. 

She finally released my arm, "Why not?" 

"Because you wouldn't understand." I said, suddenly regretting what I'd said. 

"Do you really think you can keep this act up Marco? Why aren't you ever truthful to us?..well, ok, sure there's Jake but why don't you trust me? You could have told us about your mom, we would have understood! We're here for you Marco..you don't have to hide from us." Rachel said staring straight into my eyes. That's when the walls crumbled. I hadn't known I had 'walls'. Y'know those invisible shields that people put up to hide what they truly feel. But I stood there, all the pain in my eyes, none of my jokes and dry humor protecting me....completely exposed. Rachel smiled. 

"Was that so hard?" She asked. 

I shrugged confused and she leaned over and gave me a hug. That shocked me. It was definitely not a Rachel thing to do. It hit me then that there was more to Rachel than this Psycho Warrior Chick... much more. It was something Tobias must have noticed. And suddenly I was very jealous of Tobias. I finally accepted the embrace and hugged her back. When we separated I smiled. A new respect and understanding gleaming. 

"Thanks Xena. I needed that." 

"What are friends for?" 

"Yeah, it just took me a long time to realize that you're all on my side." I replied, then I turned to look at her, "And Xena?" 

"What?" 

"I wouldn't have left you guys after I got my mom back. I'm in this with you til the end. No matter what." 

She nodded, "I know that now." Then she gazed up at the sky. "We'd better find somewhere for the night, it's going to start...." 

Rain began to pour down and Rachel laughed and smiled ironically at me, "..raining" 

"I think that might be a good idea." I said as a flash of lightning struck across the sky lighting the world with a strange glow. 

We turned and ran toward...well, toward more trees. There was nothing around us but trees. Which isn't exactly safe in the middle of a storm but we really didn't have much of a choice. I watched Rachel running in front of me until she let out a relieved sigh and disappeared under a large rock leaning up against a fallen tree. I wondered briefly how it could have gotten there but decided who cares? and crawled in beside Rachel. I looked bleakly at my soaked pyjamas and thought about my emotional talk with Xena and just generally about the situation we were stuck in and sighed loudly as I wrapped my freezing arms around me. I was about to start complaining but all I could manage was, "Life sucks." ***************************************************************************** TOBIAS 

"This sucks! This REALLY, REALLY SUCKS!" I cried as the rain fell around me. Cassie turned to me, her hair soaked, a grim look danced across her face. 

"Well, complaining isn't going to get us anywhere." Cassie said, "besides, do you WANT to sound like Marco?" 

"Now that you mention it...no." I replied and looked around blankly for SOMETHING, ANYTHING to get us out of the rain but all I saw were trees. For once in my life the last thing I wanted to see was a tree.....and I was a bird. It felt like we had been walking forever and hadn't gotten anywhere. Then it had started to storm and we were dripping from head to toe. It was becoming down right depressing. 

"Hey Cassie, what if we're in some forest in Northern Canada that just goes on forever and ever?" I asked. 

"These forests aren't nearly nice enough to be in Northern Canada, " Cassie replied. "Have you ever been to Canada?" 

"Yeah, sure, between being a red tailed hawk and fighting parasitic slugs from space I have TONS of time to go to Canada." I replied. 

"Well, you didn't need to get sarcastic on me!" Cassie said, "It is nice up there though, you'd like it. Except for the abundance of eagles." 

"Eagles?" I said, "Nope wouldn't like it." 

"Yeah, but there's not a seagull for miles." "On second thought I..." 

"Shhhhhhhh!" Cassie hissed cutting me off. 

"What?" I cried. 

"I said SHUT UP!" She hissed again and I blinked in surprise. I got the message though and shut my mouth. 

"Do you hear that?" She asked. 

"Hear what?" 

"That rustling noise..THERE! There it is again!" I listened and vaguely heard a soft sound of something moving in the bushes to our right. I tensed. 

"GRRRROOOWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLL!" Came a thunderous roar as a clap of thunder and lightning flew across the sky I turned to see a huge lion, teeth barred, claws outstretched diving straight at me. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! CASSIE!" I screamed as I dove to my side. I looked to see Cassie staring at the lion in shock and horror. 

"My God, what kind of forest is this?" She cried. 

Angry that it had missed it's target the lion had turned back to me again, his eyes gleaming with hungry anticipation. This time he wasn't going to miss. I tried to scramble to my feet but I slipped in the mud and found myself staring straight at the monsters huge teeth. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Came an inhuman cry from nearby. Something ran out of the bushes and ran full tilt at the huge cat. It connected and hopped on the lion's back. I realized then that it was a human. 

"No one messes with bird boy and gets away with it!" Came the voice and now I recognized it and stood in udder shock. 

"MARCO! ARE YOU INSANE?!" Came a new voice. This one belonged to Rachel who had appeared beside Cassie and was watching Marco wrestle hopelessly with the lion. 

"Give it up you wacko! We can get you help!! Hell, we can get you one of those nifty hampster wheels! Or how about a Habitrail? Can we talk about this?" Marco cried as he was helplessly thrown around while the lion tried to shake him off. 

"DAVID! Don't do this!" Rachel cried. 

I frowned, David? But David was a rat! There was no possible way for that lion to be David. 

*Yeah, right Rachel! You did always have a good sense of humor,* The lion said harshly to Rachel and then to Marco, *GET OFF ME YOU LITTLE FREAK!* 

I almost collapsed where I was standing, It WAS David. Somehow. I turned back to Marco and then gazed around for a stick or log...or perhaps a handy hunting rifle to help him out. But there's was nothing but mud. It didn't matter because David managed to whack Marco with a large paw and send him flying into a nearby tree. Marco hit the tree and went down. The impact should have knocked him senseless but slowly Marco stood. 

David, on the other hand, had slowly turned his attention back to me. If lions could smile I swear David was grinning from ear to ear. 

*So, YOU... hmmmmm, I thought maybe you'd be better tasting as a bird..y'know...Bird flambee..or perhaps hawk legs with tartar sauce...or just red tailed sushi but I knew you'd just fly away so *sigh* I'll just have to slice you to ribbons the way you are, Bird boy.* David said in an almost amused tone. Then he suddenly struck out with a paw and I brought my arms up to block but it wouldn't help. I was toast. 

Then something hit me from the side just as the paw reached me. I hit the ground untouched but I looked up to see Marco and David staring gravely at each other. 

"NO ONE calls Tobias Bird boy but me." Marco said in a voice that sent a strange shiver up me. I'd never heard Marco so serious in my entire life. 

The lion seemed to shrug then eyed Marco angrily but then to my surprise demorphed back to a human, "You're not worth it _Marco_" David said with so much disdain it reminded me of when Ax said the word 'yeerk'. "Besides, you're mine." He looked down at me, "you're ALL mine. If you haven't realized there's no way out of here you're stuck here forever..or of course until I kill you." 

Marco walked up to David. Marco was a least two inches shorter than David but he glared deep into his eyes and smiled coldly, "Well see about that Rat man." 

David laughed, "Brave last words Funny Man." Then he looked at all of us, "Until next time *Animorphs*" And with that he whirled and ran into the trees disappearing into the trees. 

I let out a long breath and slowly stood up. Cassie and Rachel who were standing frozen 10 feet away ran over and helped me the rest of the way as I slipped in the mud. Rachel turned to Marco, who's gaze was still locked on the trees that David had run into. 

"WHAT was THAT?" Rachel cried. 

"Hunh?" Marco asked, "What was what?" 

Cassie looked equally as angry, "Marco, that was reckless! You could have been killed!" 

Rachel rolled her eyes, "And you have the nerve to call me insane!" 

"Yeah well, Tobias WOULD have been dead. And I don't know about you two but I didn't want Tobias DEAD..kapeesh?" Marco said running his hand shakily through his drenched hair. 

"Yeah," I cut in, "You would have been able to use me as a salad topping of Marco hadn't....well...did whatever you call what he did, Thanks Marco." 

"No problem," Marco replied, "I figured I owed you a couple anyway. We were hiding under that wimpy little rock over there and then we heard you guys and David and figured you could use a hand." 

"I don't get it, " Rachel said, looking at Marco. "about an hour ago you were terrified of David and now you just went face to snout with him like you were Bruce Willis or something." 

"Bruce Willis?" Marco said, "I was terrified! I think I wet my pants." 

Rachel and Cassie laughed, But I frowned, "Marco, when you pushed me out of the way I was about to get swiped. How did you get past the paw?" 

He grinned weakly, "I, uh, didn't." I looked at his right arm which I hadn't realized he was holding. Cassie reached over and pulled his hand away to reveal a large gash. The blood was soaking around it changing his pyjama top to a strange crimson color. 

"MARCO!" Cassie cried, "Why don't you tell us these things?" She ripped off part of her nightgown sleeve and wrapped it around his arm. He winced as she pulled it tight. 

"Ahh! Because I get spazzed at!" He muttered, "Now um, may I make a suggestion as for the reason I am the injured one?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Can we PLEASE find somewhere dry? Anymore of this rain and I swear I'm going to grow leaves." He cried. 

"Good idea." Rachel said coming to stand near me, for a brief second our hands met and I squeezed her fingers, "I think I saw a cave or something back there." 

We made our way, slipping and sliding in the mud until we reached a crude cave built into the side of a tall rock embankment. It wasn't much but it was definitely better than staying outside. We all collapsed inside and I heard Cassie sigh and we all stared at the stone roof. 

It was Marco who spoke first, "Hey, do you think this place has a bathroom?" 

We laughed, it wasn't that funny. But we were cold, we were tired..in Marco's case we were bleeding, and to top it all off we were being hunted by the most mentally unstable person I had ever met. Funny was good. It made you stop thinking about reality. ***************************************************************************** JAKE 

I lifted my dog head into the air and took a long whiff. I could smell them..they were here and so was David. Well actually, it smelt a lot like a lion so I just sort of assumed that it was David. 

I wondered if they were still alive. If David was already here..if David had already killed them....I pushed the anger down. I was going to need it if this came down to a fight. I'm not a violent person but I could picture me ripping David apart with my long tiger claws and I was surprised that I actually found myself enjoying the image. David was nothing but trouble. 

I smelled again, this time there was a different scent but one that was familiar. I didn't know how I knew what it was or who it belonged to but everything inside went numb as I realized that it was Marco's blood. 

Marco's blood. Was Marco?... No he couldn't be. 

Jake the dog barred his teeth. A growl formed in my throat. This was the last straw...David was going to die. ****************************************************************************** CASSIE 

I gazed around the tiny cave we were crowded in and sighed loudly. We'd been stuck here for at least two hours and outside the rain had stopped, the sun had dipped behind the clouds as the full moon had taken over the sky making the air a chilling cold. Tobias and Rachel had gathered some dry wood and *somehow* had been able to get a spark by beating two rocks together. Marco had been telling them that they'd watched way too many movies the whole time but when we suddenly had a pathetic little fire he shut up pretty quick. Rachel and Tobias sat across from me, Rachel curled up against him and I suddenly felt a flare of jealousy. I realized then how much I missed Jake. How lonely I was without Jake. I wished he was here to comfort me. But then my mind floated to the thought that David was out there somewhere. What happened if David had already got to Jake? 

I turned to look at Marco, who was sitting beside me. He had gotten really pale and had lost a lot of blood. I really didn't want to be the one to tell him that if we didn't find a way out of this situation soon he would probably die of blood loss or infection. But by the sad, shallow look in his eyes I think he already knew. 

"So," I said, not being able to stand the silence anymore, "Anyone have any ideas on where are?" 

Marco gazed at me darkly, "Hell." 

From across the fire Tobias nodded , his blue eyes shining with a surreal glow as the flames reflected off them, "Or some place very close to it." Then he reached down and stroked Rachel's hair. 

"Well we can't just sit here and wait for David to come and get us!" I said my voice growing stronger, "And the only way out is to know at least WHERE we are." 

"Well," Rachel said, sitting up out of Tobias' embrace and speaking for the first time in an hour, "He said we were in his territory, that no matter where we go we'll never get out." 

Tobias eyes lit up, "What were you doing right before you ended up in the forest?" 

Marco frowned, "What does that have to do with anything?" 

"Just what were you doing?!" 

Marco frowned deepened, "Sleeping." 

I nodded, realization dawning over me. "So was I." 

Rachel and Tobias both nodded their tired agreement. 

"So your saying this is all a dream?" I said in surprise. "All of us having some twisted dream?" 

"I don't know what it is..but..." Tobias started, but Marco cut him off. 

"Nightmare On Elm Street." He said, his brown eyes shimmering oddly in the low light. 

Rachel frowned, "I think he may be going delusional." 

I reached towards his forehead but he slapped my hand away. "I'm fine." Then he glared at us, "Haven't any of you seen Nightmare on Elm Street? The Freddy Crueger movies?" 

Only Tobias nodded sheepishly, "I owned them." 

"Marco?" Rachel snapped harshly, "What has cheesy horror films have to do with psycho killer lions and a lunatic kid bent on revenge ?" 

Marco returned the glare, obviously in too much pain to think of a funny comeback, "In the movies Freddy goes around killing people in their dreams." He said flatly. 

I caught the idea, "So you're saying that David is somehow in our dreams?" 

"I don't know what I'm saying," Marco replied, giving me a haunting, wistful smile. "As Rachel said, I'm probably delusional." 

"No," Tobias said, "You might be onto something. I mean, I don't think it's possible for all of us to be in one dream but well, David said we were in his game now right? What if we're somehow in....David's dream?" 

Rachel blinked, "Is that even possible? I mean...how?" 

Tobias shrugged, "I don't know..I mean, we've traveled through time and seen androids with super powerful holograms..why isn't this possible somehow?...and it would explain why he can morph and why he seems to be able to control everything." 

I nodded, "Okay, since we have no other theories let's suppose Tobias is right. So now all we need to know is how to get out of the dream." 

Marco gazed into the fire, "In the movies they either had to wake up to get out of the dream or drag Freddy out of the dream when they woke up to kill him." 

"So all we got to do is wake David up?" Rachel said, "No problem!" 

Marco looked grim, "No Rachel, problem. BIG problem." 

Rachel frowned, "Why?" 

"Well unless you happen to have an alarm clock or large gong lying around there's only one way for someone to wake up out of a dream." Marco said. 

"How?" I asked, not really wanting to hear the answer. 

"Death. When you die in a dream you wake up," He said, "And I really don't think four soaked, dirty kids are going to be able to kill a full grown lion with their bare hands." 

"Great." Tobias growled, running his mud streaked hands through his blond hair. "Now what?" 

"I've got a better question," Rachel said, "Where's Jake?" 

Marco looked up, "He told me he was going to be 'up all night' working on getting his science caught up...maybe he didn't go to sleep." I let out a small sigh of relief at the knowledge that maybe Jake wasn't even here. He was safe at his house..not dead..*alive.* 

"Well, we can't stay here forever guys, maybe we should go out and try and find something to use as a weapon," I said, trying to sound confident. The others nodded at my idea, obviously not wanting to stay cramped up in the tiny cave any longer. "Marco, you feeling up to this?" 

He nodded and slowly got to his feet. He looked like a wreck, we all did. Our faces were dirt streaked and exhausted. Our clothes were torn, ripped and muddied. We looked like four very disheveled, wet and very unhappy kids. 

I walked towards the opening of the cave, Marco slowly followed but then to my surprise, tripped and lashed out and grabbed my shoulder. I turned to see him smile awkwardly at me and I reached back to help support him. Rachel and Tobias pulled up behind us as we reached the mouth of the cave and I sighed as I gazed out into the forest. *Ready or not David, here we come* ***************************************************************************** DAVID 

I gazed at the opening of the tiny cave resting at the bottom of a cliff and smiled with indefinite malicious. The Animorphs stood in the doorway gazing into the dark night. I could feel their fear. It made me laugh. 

Somewhere in the distance my lion had picked up the scent of Jake. He was here. He was able to morph. He'd come too late to save his friends but it was a small obstacle. 

No matter. 

My plan was almost complete and if my calculations were correct then Jake would be here just in time to witness...well, the end. The end of my plan wasn't quite as evil and torturing as I wanted it to be but since Jake had entered the picture I thought it'd be so much easier just to flat out kill them. Plus, as their lives slowly withered away I would make them understand what they did to me. 

I gazed at the pile of rocks on the top of the cliff a small smile forming on my face. Then I took off to the sky with my morphed bird wings to the top of the cliff and demorphed to human. I looked off the edge of the cliff and gazed coldly at the small opening of the cave below. 

Turning to the rocks I pushed at them with hard strength. It didn't matter that *normally* I wouldn't have been able to move this boulder and inch, this my dream, my 'game'. I could do whatever I wanted. 

The rocks reached the very edge and I looked down again seeing Cassie and Marco step out into the night. Then Marco looked up. His brown eyes filled to the brim with terror as realization filled his face. 

"GET BACK!" He screamed, shoving Cassie back into the cave. I smiled wickedly as Jake, in tiger morph, stepped into the clearing. 

*Good night Animorphs* I said and pushed the boulder over the edge. It fell, hitting a large chunk of the cliff side and shattering it. Thousands of pounds of rocks began to tumble down. A huge dust cloud filled the air as I morphed bird and fluttered down to Jake. I turned as the dust began to clear to see where the cave had once been. Then, I quickly went to lion and turned back to Jake who was staring at the now huge pile of boulders that blocked the cave entrance with horror. I laughed at his horror. I mocked it. 

*Four down Jake.* I said, as his eyes fell hatefully on me, *One to go.* ****************************************************************************** RACHEL 

"GET BACK!" Marco screamed, his eyes wide. He turned and violently shoved Cassie back. Beside me, Tobias did the same. Trying to pull me back into the cave. A moment later I saw why Marco's face was filled with fear. 

It started with a low rumbling, then boulders began to fall. It rocked the cave's ceiling and before any of us could move an inch all hell broke loose. The ceiling began to collapse leaving a cloud of dust in it's wake. I lifted my arms as the stones began to fall around me. Hitting me, pushing me. 

"Tobias!" I called, coughing on the dust. Blindly looking around for him through the wall of dirt. But there was no answer. 

"Marco! Cassie!" I called, louder, as a particular large rock hit me and I collapsed. Once again no one replied. I curled myself up in the smallest ball I could make myself and squeezed my eyes shut. I wrapped my arms around my head and found a small shelter under a fallen rock. 

*Oh, God,* I thought, *oh, God, oh God, OH GOD! We're being buried alive!* 

The stones began to cascade around me and I felt something wet drip down my face. It took me a minute to realize it was my blood. I shuddered, wondering if the others were suffering the same fate as I was. I remembered the look on Marco's face before this had all begin and realization hit me. David had done this. 

Hatred broke through, if I survived this I was going to pound that little punk's head in. I don't care what the others think. I was sick and tired of his 'game'. 

As Marco would say 'Some game...some sport' David was officially a dead man walking. The cave shook around me and I looked up to the ceiling praying for the onslaught to end. 

"Ahhhhhh!" I cried as a stone came careening at me. Then the dust, the cave, the rocks all disappeared from my vision and everything went black. ****************************************************************************** JAKE 

*NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!* I cried as I watched the rocks fall across the cave's opening. Trapping my friends inside. That is, of course, if they survived the rockslide in the first place. Standing off to the side watching his work with wicked pride was David. A malevolent look plastered on his big lion face. He almost looked...amused. 

*DAVID!* I shouted, my voice having an uncharacteristic edge of anger in it. 

David turned to me, a perfectly calm and in control expression on his face. *Oh, hello Jake. Great timing. It seems you've come too little too late.* He nodded his head towards the cave. 

My mind floated back and I remembered Marco had seen it before it had happened. I grabbed that straw of hope. Maybe they'd gotten clear before the rocks had come down...*maybe* they were still alive. I turned back to David, *They survived, I know they did.* 

I didn't know lions could smile, but I swear this one did. *Oh, well. Even if they did with the rocks blocking the only way in or out and the dust mixing with the oxygen, I think your friends have about 30 minutes of air left in there anyway. That is *IF* they survived.* David shrugged carelessly. 

I gazed at the rocks and shivered. He was right. They would eventually run out of oxygen and then.....*GUYS!? You in there? Listen! It's me Jake! I'm outside! I'm going to get you out! Just hang on ok?* There was no answer obviously but it left me unsettled. I ran towards the pile getting my claws out to begin pulling away at the rocks. But David stepped between me and my target. 

*Oh, no Jake. I can't let you do that.* He said. 

*Whatever happened to that 'I'd never kill a human being?'* I snapped. 

*Well, when you're trapped alone as a rat you become *bitter* Jake. I realized that I should have beaten Marco's head in when I acquired him I mean, he was just sitting there sleeping! And I should have made sure you were dead....and your Andalite too. I probably could have hit him harder. I should have killed you all when I had the chance! I should squashed you all when you were helpless little cockroaches. I didn't kill you then Jake, but I *will* kill you now.* He said coldly. 

*You've completely lost your mind haven't you?* I asked slowly. 

*No Jake, I'm finally seeing things clearly for the very first time. You and your *Animorphs* are nothings! Nobodies! I could let you live and be destroyed by the yeerks but why give them the honor of killing you pathetic, WEAK, excuses for human beings?* He replied slinking around me. *And I'm letting your little friends know exactly how worthless they are, Jake. I can feel their terror...their hopelessness...* 

I gazed at him with pure, udder hatred, *Leave them ALONE!* I cried, pouncing, claws outstretched at him. 

David laughed inside my head, *I beat you once *Prince* Jake, I'll beat you again.* 

*Don't be so sure David!* I growled as I slashed at him. I avoided the paw and laughed harder. 

*How are you going to save your friends now Jake? They're going to die and you won't be able to save them. They are going to die knowing you let them down, that you abandoned them...* 

*SHUT UP!* I screamed, my claws slashing wildly forward but never hitting anything. 

*You're suppose to be their leader Jake! You just got them killed! It's your fault Jake. They know that too. They are going to blame you Jake. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!* 

*NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!* I screamed in anguish, jumping desperately at David. David calmly lifted a paw and slammed me down. Then I watched in quiet dismay as he lifted his wicked paws up and slashed down and me....again...and again...and again..... 

I howled in pain, both mental and physical. Trying to stand, trying to fight. But losing the war. *I'm sorry guys. I'm so sorry..I failed...I failed...I failed.* I whispered to my friends. Though they were probably gone....dead. And I hadn't been able to save them. My vision began to slowly fade and I reached up with all the power and energy I had left to hit David with one more lethal blow. He went down, but he wasn't moaning in pain. He was laughing. At me, at us, the Animorphs. We really were weak. We were nothings. We were joking ourselves and look what happened. We had all ended up dead. 

My view began to grow red with my blood and I saw David blood streaked, weakly making his way over to my now motionless body. He smiled a toothy, dark lion smile. 

*I win* He said, and then everything went black. ***************************************************************************** MARCO 

I heard someone groan loudly and suddenly realized it was me. I sighed and slowly brought in a long breath but gagged weakly when I realized I couldn't. That jolted me. I opened my eyes and found myself staring at pitch darkness. 

Had I even opened my eyes? I reached up to touch them, but realized I couldn't move. I tried to struggle, I couldn't breathe! One of my arms moved ever so slightly and I whimpered in pain. 

Feeling started to flood back into my body and I felt the heavy weight of something on top of me. Well, that explained why I couldn't breathe. Then I remembered. David..the cave...the rocks.... 

"Help!" I cried, but it came out more as a gasp then anything else. *Great,* I thought, *First I almost get sliced and diced by David..TWICE! And now I get buried alive? Just great! Please, just kill me and get it over with!* 

I tried to move my arm again and found it shifted one of the rocks on top of me just a little bit. But obviously, that was enough to get someone's attention. 

"Marco?" I heard Cassie say. But it seemed so distant and far away, muffled by the rocks weighing me down. 

"Help!" I tried again, stronger this time and I moved my arm again as some of the rocks were pushed away. 

"Rachel!" I heard Cassie cry, "I found Marco! Help me!" 

Rachel didn't answer for a minute but then said, "But Tobias....." 

"We'll find Tobias Rachel, " Cassie snapped, "but we need to Marco out of here and I can't lift these rocks alone." 

Slowly , the weight began to lift and tiny bits of fire light began to flow into my vision. Finally, the heavy boulder on top of me was rolled away and Cassie's face swam in front of me. 

"My God Marco." She whispered. I breathed in the air gratefully and gave her a weak smile. 

"This has been one hellva bad day hasn't it?" I whispered. Cassie smiled weakly, and turned to Rachel who was kneeling beside her looking around worriedly. 

"Give me a hand Rachel." Cassie said and with their help I hauled myself up. 

Looking around I saw that the tunnel was completely blocked and large chucks of debris were scattered around the cave. The little bit of light was coming from a tiny flame where our fire had once been. I tried to think of something funny to say, but I couldn't think of anything remotely funny about the situation. 

"Ah, @#%$" I whispered softly, leaning against a nearby wall for support. I looked like a walking car wreck. My clothes were covered in blood and dirt and not an inch of my skin wasn't battered and bruised. By Cassie's reaction I figured I didn't look like my usually cute charming self. 

"You guys okay?" I asked. 

Cassie nodded, "I was able to get into that crevice over there when you pushed me. Rachel hid under that rock. I think you and Tobias got the brunt of it." 

Rachel just looked at me with a panic stricken face, "We can't find Tobias." She said. I let my gaze run around the room. Right before I was knocked out I'd seen Tobias...so that would make him..... My gaze stopped. "Let's try here." 

Rachel lifted an eyebrow and I gave her the strongest smile I could manage, "I saw him before I went down." 

Rachel nodded and we started to dig. Rachel pushed away rocks frantically and I couldn't resist teasing her about it. 

"You really love him don't you Xena?" I said and despite the dirt, and the blood from her head wound I could see her blushing. 

To my surprise she nodded, "Yeah Marco, I do." 

Taking a moment to rest, I brought in a breath. It came short. Then it hit me. "Oh God!" I cried, "Oh,no!" 

Cassie looked at me, "What's wrong Marco?" 

"We're in a cave with no way out," I said, then I pointed to the fire, "There's no way for that smoke to get out...so there's no way for air to get *in*" 

Cassie and Rachel sat in shock for a couple of seconds and then Cassie blinked, "You mean were going to suffocate in here?" 

I nodded grimly, "I don't think we have much time left either." 

Rachel went back to digging, but now she was even more desperate than before. "We need to find Tobias and get *out* of here!" 

Cassie pushed back a rock and sat back, "I found him!" Actually, she'd found a hand. I stooped down and the three of us pushed the rocks back and pulled a deathly still Tobias from the rubble. He wasn't moving...I wasn't even sure he was breathing. Rachel cradled his form in his arms. 

"Tobias wake up." She said softly, "Please wake up. Oh, God Tobias don't leave me, please don't...Tobias wake up!" 

Cassie bent down and felt his pulse, "He's alive Rachel, Just unconscious." 

Rachel sighed, "Thank God. Come back to us Tobias." 

Tobias groaned loudly and opened his eyes." Wha? What..Where?" He started confused, then he saw where he was, "Oh." 

Rachel reached down and hugged him hard, "You're okay, thank God, you're okay." I looked at Rachel and to my amazement saw tears in her eyes. Tobias fought his way to a sitting position and held her back. 

"I'm fine Rachel, I'm okay." 

I couldn't help smiling, "Let's leave these too lovebirds alone." I said to Cassie, "We need to get out of here." 

Cassie frowned, "Marco you know how you said there's no way for smoke to get out of here?" 

"Yeah?" 

She pointed to the fire, and I frowned, "Oh. So now we have to get out of here in the next fifteen minutes and IN THE DARK? Greeeeeeat." 

She went and stomped out the little flame, leaving the room in pitch black. I turned to the pile of rocks and started to dig haphazardly. It took me less than 5 minutes to give up. I heard Cassie sigh too and I leaned up against the nearby wall laboring to take a long breath. 

"We're not going to get out in time." I said, my voice a whisper. It wasn't a question it was a statement of fact. 

"I think you're right." She said. We fell silent. Near the back I could hear Rachel and Tobias whispering to each other but I was too far away to hear what they we saying. So I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable to happen. 

Of course that's when I heard it, *Enjoying your new home Marco?* 

David. 

"David." I said, my voice low and dead serious. It sounded strange to my ears. 

*Hehehe, so this how the great Marco dies hunh?* He continued, *Who'd a thunk it? It's almost...funny* 

I shrugged David's voice away, "Cassie?" I asked. There was no answer. "Tobias? Rachel?" I realized my eyes were closed. I tried desperately to open them but nothing happened. 

Oh @$%@, I thought, I'm unconscious! 

*Little Marco the comedian, could always find a joke in everything* David's voice said as it floated back into my consciousness. *You know why you do that Marco?* 

*Why?* I snapped. 

*Because you're a coward. You're scared. And selfish. Remember the sharks Marco??* 

I shivered, How did he *know* this? 

*You ran away! You left your friends to die so you could save your own skin. Such a coward.* 

*Oh shut up David, you don't know anything.* 

*Oh really?* He asked, surprised. *And what about you mom Marco? The one you can't save? The one who's going to be trapped FOREVER as a Yeerk? What about her Marco? You're too afraid to save her. To her, you're a failure! She couldn't love you now. Don't you realize you've let her down? You can't even save your own mother you failure!* 

*SHUT UP!* I screamed. 

*And your friends? Do you think they like you? The truth is they know who you are Marco. A selfish, weak failure. Do you think they will mourn your death? I think not. No one will cry at your funeral Marco. No one will miss you. You're a nothing....a nobody...a failure Marco...You are a failure to your mom, your friends...your planet...a failure.* 

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I screamed, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" 

Blackness, darker than night filtered in on me and as his words rang through my head. I found my self drowning in the words and I realized suddenly that they were true. 

"A failure," I whispered, "I'm a failure." 

Then I just stop thinking. ****************************************************************************** TOBIAS 

I reached down and squeezed Rachel harder. She was laying in my arms, silently staring at the roof. 

"What's on your mind?" I asked her quietly. 

"Tobias, we're going to die here aren't we?" She said, her voice soft. But even though we were so close to dying it didn't quiver in the least. 

"No of course not." I said trying hard to sound optimistic. "Cuz if we die who's going to save the planet?" 

She laughed, "Tobias?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Ummmm, I wanted to thank you for always being there for me, Y'know? You were always there when I needed you...So uh, thanks." She said. 

I didn't know what to say. What could I say? So you can imagine my surprise when the next words popped out of my mouth. "Rachel, I love you." 

She was dead silent but then I heard her shuffle in her spot and come and lay right beside me, her mouth inches from my ear. 

"I love you too." 

"No really, " I said, feeling unresolved. "'I love you' just doesn't seem like enough. I mean, Rachel it's become so much more to me. You're always there for me, you're always a shoulder to cry on...you're the first person to ever *love* me. You're like the only family I ever had." 

Beside me, I could see Rachel looking at me in the darkness a tear in her eye. "I wish this wasn't the end Tobias. I mean, why do we have to see now? When it's too late!" 

"It won't matter, " I said, "It doesn't matter where I am, dead or alive...it won't change the fact I love you and always will Rachel." 

"Promise me something Tobias?" 

"Anything." 

"Promise me that there's a heaven and we're going to be there together." 

"I'm always going to be with you Rachel." I said and realized there was no more air. Time was running out. Or time *had* run out. 

"*Promise me Tobias!*" 

"I promise." 

"So this is it hunh?" 

"No Rachel, this is just the beginning." I squeezed her hand as pure darkness began to invade my vision. Rachel leaned forward and kissed me with the last of her energy. We held it for a few minutes, enjoying the last minutes of our lives on earth. Then she curled up beside me, our arms around each other. 

"I love you Tobias" She whispered. 

"I love you Rachel." Then everything faded away. And I realized I was dead. 

*Do you really Tobias?* Came a voice. 

*David?* 

*So the little birdy thinks he's in love...Hahaha, what a joke.* 

*What do you want David?* 

*To tell you the truth.* 

*Alright.* 

*Do you really think Rachel loved you?* 

*Yes.* 

*What a lie! She didn't love you! She pitied you. I mean look at you. A pathetic little nothlit!* 

* You should talk David.* 

*Hahaha! But my dear Tobias I don't live in my delusions. And then there's your father. Hm, do you think he'd be proud of his little boy today? Dying alone in some cave with a girl you think loves you? You're a shame to Elfangor's name.* 

*Shut up David!* 

*Hm, I seem to being getting a lot of that today. Gee, Tobias, look at you. A pathetic, weak, emotional little nothlit. No cares about you Tobias. No one ever did. You're a failure to your friends, a failure to your father and most of all, a failure to Rachel!* 

*No.* I whispered desperately, *I'm not a failure....I'm not a failure.* 

Was I? ****************************************************************************** JAKE 

My eyes opened slowly. I was alive!....I was laying in a pool of my own blood..but I was alive! ALIVE! I looked over at David who was stumbling wounded away to the forest. My eyes fell glued on the cave. 

How long had I been out? Was it too late? 

I got up slowly, approaching David. He was going to pay...He was going to die. The things he'd said to me came flooding back but instead of bringing on pain it brought on anger. Horrible, horrible anger. 

The pain of the wounds disappeared taken over by shocking hatred. I remembered David's cocky sway, his lion grin, the way he *casually* talked about my friends...my friends who were probably dead..because of *him*. 

I let the tiger's instincts take over, those killer instincts. I didn't care anymore, I surrendered to the anger, to the hatred. Those instincts washed away any doubt or reason. Kill, they told me. And I wanted to kill, not because I was just a tiger but because a really pissed off Jake was also sharing that body. 

The tiger roared, and David whirled around. Clear shock in his big lion eyes. No, David, I'm not dead...and I'm not weak...and I'm NOT a failure! 

I pounced on the still shocked David and began to slash and slash and slash. Blood on me, blood on the ground, blood on him. But did I care? No. All I cared was swiping that goddamn cocky grin off his face. All I cared about was my friends who were DYING because of THIS &*$&*$^*&*. Then David stopped moving. 

I stopped my onslaught, realizing quite suddenly that David was very much dead. Despite the pain, I laughed. 

*No David,* I muttered, *I win.* ****************************************************************************** **In five different houses, five different kids all shot up in their beds at the same time.....** ****************************************************************************** CASSIE 

One minute, I'd been dead. The next, I was awake, sitting in my bed shaking from head to toe. Had it been a dream? Had all that been a dream? 

I had seem so real. Everything. I shivered as I remembered what David had said to me before I'd ....died....*You're a failure Cassie. A failure* He'd known things about me that I didn't even know about myself..and they were *true*. 

It hadn't been a dream, oh, no. Definitely not. 

I reached for the phone. ****************************************************************************** 

JAKE 

It was 6 a.m and we were gathered, shaking in Cassie's barn. I had told them what the Ellimist had told me, about the Delvelians and how they could control dreams and create a sort of 'game'. 

My friends all looked exhausted. They had told me what had happened with the cave and David attacking them. They had died in the cave. Suffocated. And I couldn't help them. 

"So it was just a dream?" Rachel said softly. 

Marco shook his head, "No." He said and then opened his palm. In it was a shread of Cassie's pyjama material. "The gash was gone, but I ...found this on my arm." 

Cassie looked at me, worried and squeezed my hand, "So what about David?" She asked. 

"PERHAPS I CAN ANSWER THAT." Came a booming voice. We all turned to see the Ellimist standing at the entrance to the barn. 

"THE DELVELIANS NEVER FOUND THE ANDALITE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. SOOOO...." 

Marco grinned, "They think David double crossed them." 

The Ellimist smiled, "I DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM DAVID FOR A LONG TIME." 

*And Ax?* Tobias in the rafters back in his bird morph asked. 

"PERFECTLY SAFE. HE WAS WITH THE CHEE THE WHOLE TIME. HE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO HELP YOU ALL, BUT HE WAS SAFE NONETHELESS. HE'S ON HIS WAY HERE AS WE SPEAK." 

"Thank you Ellimist." Cassie said with a small smile. 

The Ellimist turned to leave when I called out to him. "Ellimist?" 

"YES JAKE?" 

"Is there any hope for us? I mean, is there any hope we'll beat the Yeerks?" I asked as David's words fluttered back into my conscious. 

The Ellimist smiled again, "MORE HOPE THAN YOU KNOW JAKE. MORE HOPE THAN YOU COULD POSSIBLY KNOW." 

And then he was gone. We watched him disappear. Just five kids. But five kids that were destined to save the world. 

Now you see why I can't say I've seen it all, because whenever I do the universe just hands me something new. But I've realized though my life may change, and I may change there were 5 people who never would. I squeezed Cassie's hand and smiled at her. 

"Someday." I said, "The Yeerks will lose." 

Cassie smiled up at me, "Someday." 

Marco nodded, "Someday." 

Rachel grinned melodramatically, "We're going to win." 

*Amen* Tobias said, with a thought speak laugh. ***************************************************************************** 

** Revenge is sweet. But do you what's sweeter? Friendship. The only thing stronger than darkness is light and revenge is friendship. Five kids saving the world....pathetic?...I think not.** ****************************************************************************** THE END 

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hey, Ash here. Well, I think that pretty much covers everything and a bag 'o' chips. If you were unclear of anything...The Animorphs are alive and well...Ax just got to spend some quality time with our metallic friends..the Delvelians thought they's been double crossed by a certain rat (but with that appearance who can blame them?) And have left Earth to fry bigger fish..while David..no one knows. It's a mystery. So no what'd you think? Love it? Hate it? I can't decide. At least I didn't kill anyone. Well, not far that I couldn't bring them back. (: Anywho, it's DONE! Yaaaaaaah! Til next time folks; keep your ears closed and your mind open! Peace+luv;Ash 


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